2020 AEM Officers are:

• Chair Jeffrey Reed, President & CEO, Reed International/VSS Macropaver
• Vice-Chair Steven Berglund, President & CEO, Trimble Inc.
• Ag Chair Jerry Johnson, President Farm, Ranch & Agriculture Div., Blount International Inc.
• CE Chair Rodney Schrader, Chairman & CEO, Komatsu America Corp.
• Treasurer Todd Stucke, Sr. VP Marketing, Product Support & Strategic Projects, Kubota Tractor Corp.
• Secretary Dennis Slater, President, AEM

AEM officers and directors come from an industry cross-section and work on behalf of all member companies to provide strategic direction and guidance for the association’s initiatives in areas including public policy representation, market information and equipment statistics, trade shows, product safety and technical support.

“AEM benefits from the support of our member companies and the leadership talents of our Board members, and we greatly appreciate their active participation”

said AEM President Dennis Slater. “Their engagement and contributions help ensure that we deliver quality results as we continue to build momentum for the equipment manufacturing industry and offer the best possible services and programs for members.”

Directors elected to the AEM Board of Directors:

• Ted Bojanowski, VP Sales and Marketing, Parker Hannifin Corp.
• Grant Godbersen, VP Manufacturing, GOMACO Corp.
• Michael Haberman, President, Gradall Industries Inc.
• Jerry Johnson, President Farm Ranch & Agriculture Division, Blount International Inc.
• Philip Kelliher, VP Americas Distribution Services Marketing, Caterpillar Inc.
• Leif Magnusson, President, CLAAS of America Inc.
• Ray O’Connor, President & CEO, Topcon Positioning Systems Inc.
• Brad Olson, Vice President, Two Rivers Marketing
• Austin Ramirez, President & CEO, Husco
• Jeffrey Reed, President & CEO, Reed International/VSS Macropaver
• Todd Stucke, Sr. VP Marketing, Product Support & Strategic Projects, Kubota Tractor Corp.

Directors elected to the AEM Ag Sector Board:

• Grant Adolph, COO, Buhler Industries Inc.
• Kim Boccardi, VP Marketing, Titan International
• Fernando Cuccioli, Exec. VP Cluster Americas, DeLaval Inc.
• Charlene Finck, Div. President Producer Media, Farm Journal
• Gene Fraser, VP Global Sales & Marketing, MacDon Industries Ltd.
• David Gilmore, Senior VP Global Marketing, Ag & Turf Div., Deere & Co.
• Jerry Johnson, President Farm, Ranch & Agriculture Div., Blount International Inc.
• Darryl Matthews, Sr. VP Natural Resources, Trimble Inc.
• Brian Nelson, President & Chairman, HCC Inc.
• Viren Popli, President & CEO, Mahindra USA Inc.
• James Wessing, President, Kondex Corp.
• Jeremy Yoder, COO, DISTek Integration Inc.

Directors elected to the AEM CE Sector Board:

• Brian Bieller, President & Regional GM, Dynapac
• Mary Erholtz, VP of Marketing, Superior Industries Inc.
• John Grote, Global VP, Sales & Marketing, Grote Industries Inc.
• Willie Harbert, VP Sales, Eaton
• Robert Mortensen, President Off-Highway Div., Husco
• Frank Nerenhausen, President, JLG Industries Inc.
• Ray O’Connor, President & CEO, Topcon Positioning Systems
• Rick Rodier, Group VP, Construction Businesses, The Toro Company
• Ingo Schiller, President North America Operations, Tadano America Corp.
• Johannes Schulze Vohren, Exec. VP Sales & Marketing, Wacker Neuson Corp.
• David Thorne, Sr. VP Worldwide Sales & Marketing, Construction & Forestry Div., Deere & Co.
• Patrick Weiler, President, Weiler

Source: Association of Equipment Manufacturers

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Ferlin Kang didn’t always know he wanted to go into the construction industry. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, he was exposed to the energy and opportunity that comes with living in a growing, evolving city. Ferlin knew he could pursue different paths in life, but he also knew how unique it was to have the opportunity to carry on his father’s business as a first-generation Canadian.

“My father had humble beginnings, immigrating from Asia. He had been in construction since the 1960s before starting Kang Construction Ltd. in 1982 in Calgary,” Ferlin said. “When I was in my teen years, I started working with the company and thought there was no way I’d be doing this.”

But for Ferlin, the opportunity to carry on the family business was something he grew interested in, and soon began to enjoy.

“My father came here, established himself, started a business and became an entrepreneur. Being able to grow the business to this point is not something to take lightly,” Ferlin said. “I didn’t want that legacy to go away.”

And that legacy will remain intact. Ferlin is now the vice president of the 60-employee Kang Construction, as his father, Alvin, gradually steps back.

Forged from orange

Initially, Kang Construction began carving out a niche in the petroleum industry. Due to an industry need for excavation, Kang Construction purchased its first excavator in early 1988: a Hitachi EX200LC. It was the first excavator of its kind to operate in Alberta.

“For us, the Hitachi brand loyalty reaches all the way back to our beginnings as a company when we first purchased our EX200,” Ferlin said. “Hitachi’s always been known for manufacturing heavy equipment that is tried, tested and true. They’re very reputable and providing the right equipment for the right job is always very important to us.”

The EX200 wasn’t the only “first” for this company. In December 2018, Kang Construction was also the first company in Alberta to purchase the ZX345USLC-6.

“Our fleet of Hitachi excavators ranges from a 470, which is our largest, to the 225, 160, 135, 85, all the way down to the minis. We also have a 350 that has a long-reach telescopic boom mounted to it for deep excavations, or we can change it to a 60-feet-long-reach boom,” Ferlin said. “Just from our fleet, you can see the versatility that Hitachi equipment provides.” 

While Kang Construction began with a niche in the petroleum industry, they have since grown drastically. Their growing fleet is a result of growing services.

“We started to go more into the earthwork side of things and away from the petroleum side toward the 2000s,” Ferlin said. “We got into more detail and mass excavations for commercial, retail and industrial projects.”

Bringing an edge to the fleet

Soon, Kang Construction expanded to offer installation of water and sewer underground utilities to their projects. This is where the 345’s versatility really shined.

“With the inner-city job sites, we deal with some tighter areas,”

Ferlin said. “Accessibility of the 345 is definitely positive.”

As it has grown, Kang Construction has tackled larger, high-profile jobs within the area. Recently, the company has been working at the Foothills Hospital Calgary Cancer Centre connector, providing earthworks, and water and sewer utilities to the project.

“The 345 worked out really well for this project in the sense that we have a new Tier 4 engine in there, which just gives minimal emissions,” Ferlin said. “A new machine like the 345 is perfect when working near a sensitive hospital environment.”

Another advantage of the 345 is the power it brings to tight spaces as a reduced-tail-swing model.

“The fact that it’s a reduced-tail-swing and has power, that’s just an added bonus,”

Ferlin said. “It’s perfect for our fleet.”

Productivity is the name of the game

If Ferlin had to choose one word that is most important to Kang Construction, it would be “productivity.” As technology advances and the needs of their clients become more stringent, he has to rely on equipment that can deliver.

“If the equipment works efficiently and safely, that’s paramount,” Ferlin said. “Breakdowns or reliability issues are critical in our business. I find that for us, Hitachi works.”

For their Hitachi equipment needs, Kang Construction turns to Wajax, one of Canada’s longest-standing and most diversified industrial products and services providers.

“Our dealer support from Wajax has been fantastic. We’re able to get anything we need from them quickly to keep us up and running,”

Ferlin said.

Along with contributing to the bottom line, Hitachi excavators are a favourite among Kang Construction operators, too.

“Getting a new piece of equipment is always like Christmas to everybody,” Ferlin said. “They love the 345. They find that being inside the machine, it’s quite roomy. They’re not crunched like they are in some other machines.”

The future of Kang

Ferlin has hopes that the company will continue to grow in Calgary, a city which he describes as “opportunistic.” And he is grateful for the growth Kang Construction has seen thus far.

“We’ve always been aggressive, ever since our small beginnings. But I couldn’t have envisioned us being involved in the types of jobs we’re working today, 15 years ago,” Ferlin said. “We are excited to see the legacy continue for our company.”

As for the company’s culture, Ferlin plans on keeping a family mentality at the core.

“I think in our current society, some-times family might be overlooked. Family is very important to me and has always been,” he said. “We always try to treat our company and employees like family, and I don’t see that changing in the future.”

Source: Hitachi

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Continuously striving to produce world-class equipment that delivers customers with the highest value possible, John Deere added Final Tier 4 engine technology to the 944K hybrid wheel loader, providing customers with an increase in fuel economy from the Interim Tier 4 model. Other machine updates include improving operator comfort and increasing uptime while lowering daily operating costs.

“Customers deserve a dependable wheel loader that actively works to minimize downtime and cut down on fuel consumption,” says John Chesterman, product marketing manager, production class four-wheel drive loaders, John Deere Construction & Forestry. ”New and exciting features on the 944K provide operators with a comprehensive loader solution that increases productivity, while efficiently managing costs. But we also maintained popular features like standard traction control that automatically limits torque to any wheel when slippage occurs, essentially eliminating runaway tire spin and tire slicing.”

Equipped with a 536-horsepower, Final Tier 4 John Deere PSS 13.5-liter engine, the 944K boasts nine to 14 per cent lower fuel consumption* compared to its IT4 predecessor. The updated engine delivers impressive torque and responsiveness to help maintain good boom and bucket speed in and out of the pile for heaped loads.

Along with the engine update, operators will also enjoy an increase in coast control performance. This standard feature gives the operator the capability to adjust the aggressiveness of the machine during deceleration with three different settings. The higher the setting, the more electric braking will occur during application. When all three lights are on, the loader will deliver a 33 per cent increase in deceleration performance and an overall extension of service brake life.

Other machine modifications include the addition of a heated and ventilated cab seat to provide maximum comfort to the operator. With improved Final Tier 4 technology, operator and bystander noise levels were also lowered.

Outside the cab, remote jump-start terminals were added to all 944K FT4 machines in a closed and locked engine compartment. These allow for faster and easier jump-starting, can be used with a trickle charger in cold weather and are colour-coded/insulated to help prevent improper connections and accidental contact with battery terminals. Other updates include a bolted shut engine fan door that reduces the possibility of it accidentally opening during operation; the consolidation of the engine stop switch and 24-volt electrical disconnect switches on the right side of the machine to provide easier access; and the relocation of the engine block heater plug-in for easier access in colder climates.

Warranty coverage on the 944K wheel loader includes a 96-month (eight-year) or 20,000-hour (whichever comes first) non prorated assurance on wheel motors, generators, power inverters and brake retarders. This offer was extended to July 31, 2019 (from October 31, 2018) to existing machines in the field and on new 944K loaders.

Fleet managers looking to get the most out of their 944K wheel loader can rely on their John Deere dealers to provide Ultimate Uptime, featuring John Deere WorkSight. With Ultimate Uptime, owners receive predelivery and follow-up inspections that include five years of JDLink telematics, machine health prognostics, remote diagnostics, programming capabilities and the ability to add dealer-provided uptime solutions to a customized package.

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-The E-DEUTZ modular system offers the ideal combination of conventional and electric drive components.

-Significant increases in efficiency lower both overall running costs and emissions.

-Fully functional drive prototypes operating in real-life conditions.

As part of the ELECTRIP Event Week in Cologne between 15 and 21 September, DEUTZ will for the first time be demonstrating the hybrid and full-electric drives from its new E- DEUTZ portfolio under real-life operating conditions. Customers, investors, media representatives and politicians will all have an opportunity to take electric-powered boats and construction equipment for test drives. It was in September 2017 with its acquisition of Torqeedo GmbH – the global market leader and system solution specialist for integrated electric and hybrid drives for boats – that DEUTZ, which specialises in innovative drive systems, embarked upon the electrification of its product range. The new partner’s comprehensive know-how forms the basis for future developments in DEUTZ’s core off- highway business. ELECTRIP is now highlighting both the underlying technology – in the form of series-production proven Torqeedo electric boat engines – and two recently developed E-DEUTZ drive prototypes – in the form of a hybrid and an full-electric telescopic handler.

E-DEUTZ is based on a modular electrification system, allowing customers to choose whatever is the optimum combination of conventional and electric drive components for their particular application. In terms of power output and capacity, every single E-DEUTZ component is scalable. The aim is to achieve a significant increase in efficiency which will reduce overall running costs, fuel consumption and emissions in equal measure. The first positive results from this modular system – a demonstration hybrid drive, consisting of a diesel engine and an electric motor with power electronics and a battery pack to match – were presented by DEUTZ at the Intermat construction equipment trade fair held in Paris in April 2018.

So as to provide a real-life illustration of how its e-drives perform in practice, DEUTZ has now taken upon itself to produce two demonstrator vehicles. Two Liebherr TL 432-7 telescopic handlers which are normally powered by a 74 kW DEUTZ TCD 3.6 diesel engine were converted, one to a hybrid drive and the other to an full-electric drive, at the DEUTZ Development Plant in Cologne.

As Dr Frank Hiller, Chairman of the DEUTZ Board of Management explains: “An interdisciplinary team of Torqeedo and DEUTZ design engineers succeeded in integrating our drive concept into two prototype machines in just six months. This shows that we have mastered the technology and are in a position to supply marketable electrification solutions. Demonstrating a fully-working operational system is the best way to prove that we have the expertise.”

Hybrid or full-electric: Innovative drive systems for telescopic handlers

To produce the battery-electric hybrid, the E-DEUTZ team first ‘downsized’ the combustion engine to a 56 kW DEUTZ TCD 2.2, supplementing it with a 48 volt 20 kW electric motor, thus giving the system a power output of 76 kW. The mechanical connection between the e-motor and the diesel engine is achieved by means of a transmission with integrated decoupler, which allows the diesel engine to be disconnected from the electrical system and provides the option of powering the vehicle purely by electricity. The energy required is generated by raising the diesel engine’s load point and storing the energy in a 10 kWh capacity battery. The potential savings are dependent on the load cycle and the operating period of the respective application. In this typical telescopic handler application, it was possible to achieve a fuel saving of up to 15 per cent, meaning that the investment will pay for itself within the first two years.

The full-electric demonstrator’s drive is powered by a 360 volt system voltage, its diesel engine being completely replaced by a 60 kW electric motor. To ensure that the drive is constantly supplied with sufficient energy, the E-DEUTZ experts have equipped the telescopic handler with a correspondingly powerful battery; with its 30.5 kWh capacity, even lengthy periods of use at high load present no problems. The full-electric E-DEUTZ drive operates with zero local emissions, making it particularly attractive in conurbations where air pollution is often a major issue. In addition to the complete elimination of exhaust gases, it also significantly reduces noise pollution. Both the demonstrators being exhibited are fully-functional and, in terms of performance, are in no respect inferior to the original diesel-powered model. This means that DEUTZ, together with its new partner, Torqeedo, has very quickly and successfully transferred its e- technology know-how to its core off-highway business. Both telescopic handlers demonstrate perfectly the flexibility offered by the E-DEUTZ modular system.

As Michael Wellenzohn, member of the Board of Management of DEUTZ AG for Sales, Service & Marketing, explains: “We foresee particularly strong potential for installing hybrid and full-electric drives in small and medium-sized equipment. From illustrative Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculations, it is possible to see the period over which a hybrid drive, for example, in a particular application will cover its investment cost. Depending on the customer application, this can be after as little as one year of use. In 2022/2023, DEUTZ plans to achieve between 5 and 10 per cent of its overall sales revenue from electrified drives.”

Source: Deutz News

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Following extensive research in Europe, the Hitachi development team has designed the new ZW-6 wheel loader range to answer the needs of challenging working environments. Demands for reliable performance without compromising on fuel efficiency, increased productivity, and concerns for safety and comfort, have all been carefully considered with the new ZW330-6.

Ideal for quarrying applications, the ZW330-6 is powered by a new Stage IV-compliant engine for increased productivity and efficiency. It incorporates high-quality and robust components, and the cab offers the best all-round visibility in its class.

Increased productivity

The traction force of the ZW330-6 has been improved by 26% for a more efficient loading operation than the previous model. The wheel loader also has a quick power switch that increases engine output when more power is instantly required, or when driving uphill.

The lift arm contributes to the reliable performance of the ZW330-6. It raises quicker than the ZW-5 model, stops smoothly thanks to the flow control system, and is easy to control using the auto leveller.

Simultaneous movement of the lift arm and bucket ensures a smooth digging operation. The bucket is prioritised after unloading so that the wheel loader quickly returns to digging, helping to increase productivity.

Engineered for efficiency

The lock-up transmission of the ZW330-6 reduces fuel consumption during travelling, which reduces running costs. It prevents energy loss in the torque converter by coupling the engine with the transmission, even during gear changes.

Another example of the technology incorporated within the ZW330-6 is the engine’s after-treatment device. Designed to reduce emissions, it consists of a diesel oxidation catalyst, urea mixing pipe, selective catalyst reduction (SCR) system and silencer. The SCR system injects urea into the exhaust gas to reduce nitrogen oxide.

Built for durability

To withstand working in tough environments, the ZW330-6 has been designed with a new rear grille that prevents material from the job site entering the radiator compartment. It is also equipped with high-quality radiators that offer improved resistance to corrosion.

A further example of its robustness is that the lift arm, and front and rear frame have been designed to handle the rigours of heavy applications. An optional belly guard provides added protection for the machine in challenging working conditions.

Superior comfort and safety

The cab of the ZW330-6 makes work more comfortable for operators, with excellent all-round visibility, improved sound insulation, and adjustable features that can be controlled from the multifunctional monitor.

The rear-view camera, curved engine hood, and repositioned exhaust pipe and air intake, all help to provide a better view of the operator’s surroundings. LED rear road lights increase the machine’s visibility on dusty job sites.

The ride control feature ensures a smooth drive on all kinds of terrain by minimising machine pitching. In addition, Hitachi’s industry-leading joystick steering system (optional) provides effortless control.

Easy to maintain

To make maintenance and daily checks quick and convenient, the engine covers of the ZW330-6 open fully to provide easy access. The urea tank can be easily inspected from ground level. The battery disconnect switch – now included as standard – helps to avoid electrical accidents and retains battery energy during long-term storage.

With reliable features, durable components and advanced technology, the ZW330-6 demonstrates the high standards of quality in Hitachi construction machinery. Hitachi Construction Machinery (Europe) NV Wheel Loader Product Manager Vasilis Drougkas says: “The ZW-6 wheel loader is exceptionally durable and reliable to meet the needs of our quarrying customers, enabling them to demand more from their equipment, without compromise.”

Source: Hitachi products

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